Hyundai Motor’s union to hold partial strike in protest against Yoon

Seoul: Unionised workers at Hyundai Motor will stage a partial strike this week in solidarity with an umbrella labour union’s walkout against President Yoon Suk Yeol’s short-lived martial law declaration, according to the company’s union on Thursday.

Hyundai’s 43,000-strong union will hold a four-hour strike each on Thursday and Friday under the guidelines of the Korean Metal Workers’ Union (KMWU), a union spokesperson said over the phone.

The KMWU is part of the militant Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU). GM Korea Co.’s 7,300-member union also decided to hold a four-hour walkout on Thursday and Friday, respectively, reports Yonhap news agency.

Meanwhile, Bank of Korea (BOK) Gov. Rhee Chang-yong said on Thursday the current political climate surrounding the opposition’s move to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol is unlikely to affect South Korea’s sovereign ratings and growth momentum given the country’s solid market fundamentals.

Rhee made the point during a press briefing in Seoul, two days after Yoon declared martial law in a surprise late-night address, which was lifted about six hours later after the National Assembly voted to reject it. The opposition side then filed a motion to impeach Yoon.

On Wednesday, the KCTU vowed to go on an indefinite strike until Yoon steps down to take responsibility for the martial law debacle that shook the nation.

Late Tuesday, Yoon declared martial law, accusing “anti-state forces” of paralyzing the operation of the nation with impeachment motions and a downsized budget bill.

But Yoon abandoned the martial law attempt, the country’s first such motion in over four decades, early Wednesday after the National Assembly voted to overturn the declaration.

Opposition parties submitted a motion on Wednesday to impeach the president over the botched martial law.

—IANS